July 1st 2024.
On a Monday morning in Seoul, South Korea, the country's military reported that North Korea had launched two ballistic missiles towards the east. This came after North Korea had previously warned of retaliation against a joint military exercise conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, one of the missiles was launched at 5:05 a.m. from the Jangyon area in South Hwanghae province, while the other was launched at 5:15 a.m. The military did not disclose any further details about the missiles, such as their range, but Yonhap news agency reported that they were short-range ballistic missiles.
The JCS stated that they were closely monitoring for any additional launches and were sharing information about North Korean ballistic missiles with the US and Japanese authorities. They also assured the media that the military was maintaining a state of readiness.
This missile launch came after North Korea's Foreign Ministry spoke out against the three-day military exercise called "Freedom Shield," which ended the previous day. The country had denounced the exercise as an attempt to strengthen a military alliance and had promised to take "offensive and overwhelming" countermeasures.
Just five days prior, North Korea had also launched a ballistic missile towards the East Sea. The following day, they claimed to have successfully tested a multiple warhead missile. However, South Korea dismissed this as a deception, stating that the missile had exploded in midair.
Tensions between North and South Korea have been escalating in recent weeks. North Korea has been sending balloons filled with trash across the border as a response to anti-Pyongyang leaflets being sent by defectors and activists in South Korea.
This recent missile launch also coincides with growing concerns about the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty for a comprehensive strategic partnership during a summit in Pyongyang. As part of this treaty, the two countries have agreed to come to each other's aid in case of an attack.
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